MONTREAL — Muslim leaders are criticizing the police response to an early Sunday morning break-in at a downtown Montreal mosque, saying the alleged attack should be investigated as a hate crime.
A national Muslim group posted surveillance videos to social media that appear to show someone at around 5 a.m. using a rock to break into the Al-Omah Al-Islamiah mosque and into the prayer room. The videos, published by the Canadian Muslim Forum, also appear to show the perpetrator attempting to hit and narrowly missing a young worshipper before smashing into the building.
A 32-year-old man is facing a mischief charge in connection with the alleged attack, but Montreal police Const. Véronique Dubuc said Monday that investigators didn't believe the incident was a hate crime, adding that the suspect would appear in court at a later date.
Later in the day, Const. Caroline Chèvrefils said the force's hate crimes unit would investigate because the incident occurred at a place of worship, but she said police still did not have evidence it was a hate crime.
Forum president Samer Majzoub said police should investigate whether the alleged attack was motivated by hate, adding that the break-in was not the first time mosques have been targeted in Canada.
"There are many explanations — this I know," Majzoub said. "But the fact of the matter is it is a mosque that was being attacked, its worshippers who've been attacked."
He said no one was hurt — even though the teenager narrowly escaped being struck — adding that several worshippers confronted the intruder and managed to get him to leave.
Mosque officials also criticized the fact the suspect was released shortly after being arrested. Mohammad Jundi, a member of the forum who sits on the mosque's board, said Montreal police officers were quick to arrive to the scene but never returned to speak with the dozen or so worshippers who were inside the building when the incident occurred.
"The police officers did not get out of their car to speak to the people on-site," Jundi said in an interview Monday.
Jundi said the teen who escaped being attacked by the suspect was left shaken and had not returned to the mosque since the incident.
As well, one of the people who went to the police station to file a statement crossed paths with the suspect, who had been recently released from that station, Jundi said.
"He called me right away and said, 'Mohammad, I can't believe my eyes,'" Jundi said.
Jundi said when he spoke with a police inspector on Monday he learned that investigators didn't know a teenager had been allegedly assaulted during the break-in.
Majzoub said his group published the video to raise awareness about Islamophobia and urge people to be cautious during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends later in April.
"People would like to have the reassurance of safety," Majzoub said. "They are part of this bigger society and they deserve to feel safe."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled the last name of Samer Majzoub.
